Shloka 15

धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas

Devanagari script

अथोपपत्त्या शकटं पद्मवज्॑ च भारत | उशना वेद यच्छास्त्र तत्रैतद्‌ विहितं विभो,भारत! युद्धके समय युक्ति करके सेनाका शकट, पद्म अथवा वज्र नामक व्यूह बना ले। प्रभो! शुक्राचार्य जिस शास्त्रको जानते हैं, उसमें ऐसा ही विधान मिलता है

Transliteration

athopapattyā śakaṭaṃ padmavajraṃ ca bhārata | uśanā veda yacchāstraṃ tatraitad vihitaṃ vibho ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra dijo: «Por tanto, oh Bhārata, en tiempo de guerra, aplicando buen juicio y estrategia, debe disponerse el ejército en la formación Śakaṭa (carro), Padma (loto) o Vajra (rayo). Oh poderoso, en el tratado conocido por Uśanā (Śukrācārya) se prescribe precisamente este procedimiento».

Word by Word

• {'atha': 'then, therefore', 'upapattyā': 'by reasoning

• through strategic justification', 'śakaṭam': 'the ‘cart’ battle-formation (vyūha)', 'padma': 'the ‘lotus’ battle-formation (vyūha)', 'vajram': 'the ‘thunderbolt/diamond’ battle-formation (vyūha)', 'bhārata': 'O descendant of Bharata (address to a Kuru prince)', 'uśanā': 'Uśanā/Śukra (Śukrācārya), preceptor associated with polity and strategy', 'veda': 'knows

• is versed in', 'śāstram': 'treatise

• authoritative manual (esp. on polity/war-strategy)', 'tatra': 'therein

• in that (treatise)', 'etat': 'this (very rule/procedure)', 'vihitam': 'enjoined

• prescribed', 'vibho': 'O mighty one

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhārata (Kuru addressee)
• Uśanā (Śukrācārya)
• Śakaṭa-vyūha
• Padma-vyūha
• Vajra-vyūha
• Śāstra (treatise on strategy)